The Harris County District Attorney’s Office hired an outside lawyer to investigate corruption claims under the county’s highest-elected Democrat, who had previously worked as a Republican operative.
Rachel Palmer Hooper’s hiring added political intrigue to a high-stakes legal showdown. She logged hundreds of hours of work that led to indictments against three of County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s former staffers. Now District Attorney Kim Ogg is facing new criticism for hiring the state Republican Party’s general counsel to work on a politically charged case despite having a full-time public corruption division at the time.
The investigation began with a complaint from former Republican County Commissioner Jack Cagle, who claimed that Hidalgo’s office awarded a $11 million vaccine outreach contract to a political ally. Then, in April 2022, three of Hidalgo’s former employees, Alex Triantaphyllis, Wallis Nader, and Aaron Dunn, were charged. Lawyers for the trio have categorically denied that their clients committed any wrongdoing.
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